In the morning we had a 3-hour tour led by local guide, Peter who provided background information on Slovenia and Ljubljana.
[Prešeren Square]
The tour focussed on the sights in and around the very pleasant Ljubljana River, the public squares and a visit to the castle high above the city.
[View from the castle]
Being a Sunday, the city pretty well closes down so all can enjoy the cafes and easy living down by the river's bridges and embankments.
[The Triple Bridge by J.P.]
There are no major sights in Ljubljana - only a very attractive physical setting, nice ambiance and fine Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture.
[St. Francis church]
Much of the architectural interest is due to the many public works designed by Jože Plečnik who studied under Otto Wagner in Vienna when Art Nouveau was in vogue. Unfortunately being Sunday, the museum to his work and life was closed.
The afternoon was free
so after lunch we chose to use our time by re-visiting some of what we had seen in the morning, but now with more documentation.
[National and University Library by J.P. - note shape of the windows of the top 3 floors]
We also visited the City Museum which was hosting a special exhibit on Napoleon's Ilyrian Provinces period. It was a great opportunity to learn something of an aspect of Napoleonic history of which I knew virtually nothing. Also of great interest here was the documented struggle against the Nazi occupation in WW II when the city was ringed by barbed wire and cut off from the world.
[The Slovene Parliament (product of the socialist era) ]
We met back up with the group and had supper at an Italian restaurant a short distance from our hotel. The basic choices were a pasta, a (huge) salad, a chicken dish and a beef dish. Dessert was a gelato at Ljubljana's best gelato shop.
We head north to the Lake Bled area in the morning.
-- Post From My iPhone
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